How would you keep your legacy alive?

Many people are scared of death. It’s a very mysterious thing that happens in everyone’s life. Maybe it’s the fact that we don’t know when or where it will happen, or the feeling of being left behind or forgotten bothers us. What will happen when you die? Will your grandchildren know you, and will there be stories passed down through the generations? Lingering questions and uncertainties can make death even scarier.

I recently read an article about QR codes being put on gravestones. QR is short for quick response. A QR code can be scanned by a smartphone application. Lets say that you are scanning a QR code that is on a box of cookies. This could bring up a coupon, or the website to the brand of the cookie. The Lincoln County Journal has a QR code placed in several different spots of the paper, these codes will link you back to the homepage of our website, or if you use the QR code that is on the obituary page, you will be linked straight to the most recent obits on the website. A QR code resembles a strange black and white box that looks similar to a maze (I’m sure everyone has seen one, but might not have known all that it could do).

Now that everyone knows what a QR code does, I’m sure you are wondering why someone would put it on a gravestone. I found this to be utterly fascinating, and in all, a great idea. The recent QR codes that have been placed on gravestones were special tributes to that person who passed. They can make a living video to be placed on the webpage that the QR code will link them to, a slideshow of pictures, or family members can make a tribute for the lost loved one by listing their favorite memories with that person. The possibilities are endless really. Maybe you would reveal a family secret or uncover your best chicken and dumpling recipe. I think the best part about it would be to learn old family history and to almost “meet” the person you heard so much about but might not have ever met. Maybe more people would pay a visit to their loved ones if comfort came with the visit. You can never replace them physically being there but to hear their voice and to see their picture can be a soothing feeling in a dark time.

It would also be interesting to learn about other families past. You always wonder what it was like to be “John Smith”, well now you can pull up the QR code and see what they were like. Or, how about the person that always has a decorated grave, that shows that they were really special, maybe you could learn a thing or two about them. Veterans Day would be extra special when visiting all those who served. You would become more knowledgeable to who the person you are thanking really was.

I think if I were to be fortunate enough to have a QR code I wouldn’t hold back my personality. I would show all sides, no matter how goofy/OCD/stressed/happy or sometimes awkward I am now. If you had the chance to leave behind your legacy, what would you do and say?